There have been numerous reports of the Oakland Raiders’ offseason success lately, and this is a team that is trying to turn itself into a group of playoff contenders. I personally have been a fan of the Raiders ever since I was old enough to understand the game of football. Growing up, I was used to seeing the Raiders’ success on the field, especially their 2002 season and their road to the Super Bowl in 2003. Ever since their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the big game, they have never been the same. Ever since Rich Gannon, Tim Brown, and Jerry Rice left, the Raiders have been going downhill. What was expected to be a playoff-contending team turned into a laughingstock of the NFL.

Now with JaMarcus Russell gone, Jason Campbell as a Raiders quarterback, and a stronger defensive squad, the Raiders are finally having some success in the offseason. Rumor has it that the Raiders are thinking of signing veteran wide receiver Terrell Owens to their receiving group. Maybe a little bit of veteran experience is all this team needs to get fired up to become contenders again. Think about it – the Raiders had guys like Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Rich Gannon, Rod Woodson, and Bill Romanowski on their roster. Although they only had a few years left in their careers, these veterans were able to lead this team to the Super Bowl in 2003. Not only did they play well on the field, but they also taught the younger players how to play the game.

Signing Owens would be a great choice for the Raiders if and only if he is completely willing to step up as a true veteran leader for this team. He doesn’t even need to be on the field for so long; just teaching our young wide receivers would be beneficial enough. Obviously, T.O. is known for his “drama queen” acts and for his feuds with quarterbacks, but he actually remained low-key with the Bills last year. On the other hand, if T.O. lacks in productivity and work ethic, signing him would be a disastrous mistake – almost as bad as drafting JaMarcus Russell.

Is it worth the risk? Who knows? T.O. could either lead this team to become possible divisional champions or he could bring it down to the wrong path with his selfishness.